Speedway BZA approves variance to allow commercial parking lot at 4914 W. 15th St. with landscaping and public-parking conditions

The Town of Speedway Board of Zoning Appeals voted to approve petition 2025-DVS-004 on June 4, granting a variance to permit off-street commercial parking at 4914 West 15th Street, subject to commitments on landscaping, signage and public-access parking.

The variance was approved with conditions after roughly an hour of testimony from the petitioner, business and redevelopment supporters, and neighborhood residents and preservation advocates. The board required the petitioner to submit a site plan for administrative approval showing a landscape buffer that meets or exceeds the standards in section 7-44-506(b) of the town code, include evergreen screening at least 6 feet tall, and reserve at least one-third of the proposed spaces for public use. The petitioner said the lot is planned for about 15 spaces and would reserve five for public use.

Why it matters: the property sits at the edge of Speedway's National Historic District and has been the subject of competing priorities: business owners and the Speedway Redevelopment Commission argued additional parking is necessary to support Main Street redevelopment, while residents and preservation advocates warned that demolition of a contributing historic house and new surface parking would erode the neighborhood's character and increase noise, lighting and traffic impacts.

Supporters, including Bowman Elder, the petitioner's representative, and leaders from the Speedway Redevelopment Commission and the Greater Area Speedway Chamber of Commerce, said the lot would help attract and support retail tenants on Main Street. Jacob Blaisdell, vice president of the Speedway Redevelopment Commission, said the project could “refresh, renew, revitalize this part of our Main Street that’s been dormant for a really long time.” Jennifer Doyle, a chamber board member, read a letter urging approval and saying the plan would “boost local business, revitalize the area, and benefit the community.”

Opponents argued the home at 4914 West 15th Street is a contributing resource to the Speedway National Historic District and that surface parking would harm the residential core. Jan Follin, speaking as a neighborhood resident, said parking lots “increase the heat island effect, make the neighborhood hotter” and “add more traffic noise and congestion.” Barb Hellyer cited the town’s comprehensive planning documents and said demolition would run counter to high-priority historic preservation goals. Charles Bennett, a longtime resident, urged alternatives such as reconfigured on-street parking and structured parking rather than tearing down houses for lots.

Mitch Rector, the staff planner from Etika Group who prepared the staff report, recommended light approval with commitments. Rector noted competing guidance in archived Indianapolis and local Speedway plans — including a 2006 archived Indianapolis plan that recommends minimizing surface lots in the business district and the Town of Speedway comprehensive plan (2023) that prioritizes Main Street economic development — and he flagged an undated, unsigned covenant term sheet the staff found but could not verify as executed.

The BZA incorporated staff recommendations into the motion. The final motion approved the variance of use contingent on: submission of a final site plan with a landscape buffer meeting section 7-44-506(b) or equivalent commitments (including evergreen trees at least 6 feet tall), administrative approval of that site plan before construction, signage and a no-overnight-parking rule, and a minimum of one-third of the created parking spaces designated for public use (the petitioner said that would be five of 15 spaces). The petitioner agreed to work with the town on the buffer and signage and estimated an engineer could provide a site plan in a couple of weeks for administrative review.

The board voted to approve the petition; the vote was recorded as a majority in favor (tally: 3 yes, 2 no). The transcript does not record individual board member votes by name.

Background and context: the property is in a D-5 dwelling district on the west side of Main Street and has been cited repeatedly in past redevelopment and zoning discussions. Staff noted two nearby properties were converted to commercial parking by earlier petitions (2017 UVS-004 and 2021 APP-010) and recommended a stronger buffer at this site given its closer proximity to residences. A covenant term sheet that staff attached to the report was undated and unsigned; staff told the board it could not locate executed records and therefore did not treat it as binding.

What happens next: the variance is effective only after the petitioner submits a site plan meeting the board’s commitments and receives administrative approval. The board did not approve a final site plan or construction drawings; those details will be reviewed administratively under town procedures.